Welcome to the University at
Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences chapter of SNMA. This
is an exciting time for technology, health, and society
in general. It is also a great time for those of us entering the medical
field. What we have attempted to do for you is provide a flavor for how
some of the changes taking place are affecting us.

This
university chapter strives, as much as possible, to provide an environment
where peers, university faculty, and the community at large
can speak to us comfortably. For many
people, their upbringing and surroundings do not allow any significant
interaction with the rich array of different interests, cultures, and
ideas that exists in our communities today.

Through
annual events like the Community Health Fair, Hispanic Heritage Month,
Taste of Culture, and Black History Month, we reach out to the medical and
social community to touch base with each other, and share some common
ground. Of equal importance to us, the surrounding community benefits from
our many collaborations, both with other student groups, and neighborhood
individuals or agencies. These efforts are undertaken as part of our
commitment to the community we live in.

We invite you to step
inside our site, and see why being a minority need not mean being a minor
player.

Community service
is at the heart and soul of the SNMA. The seventeen medical chapters
of Region IX particularly pride themselves in providing culturally
sensitive and community-oriented service projects. We also try to consistently fulfill the
following national protocols:

Health
Fairs:

The
SNMA conducts health fairs throughout the nation educating
under-served communities about their health and the importance of
healthy living. The health fairs also allow members of the community
to be screened for common health conditions such as high blood
pressure and diabetes.

Health Professional Recruitment &
Enrichment Program (HPREP):

Further along the educational pipeline, SNMA's HPREP
program continues to expose high school students to science related
activities. HPREP also teaches students about specific career fields
and the steps needed to become a physician or other health care
provider.

Minority Association of Pre-health Students
(MAPS):

SNMA's MAPS
program offers guidance for undergraduate students interested in
pursuing careers in medicine. Undergraduates are provided with
information on how to choose a curriculum and how to excel
academically. In addition, SNMA members work with undergraduates
advising them about the medical school application process and the
medical school admissions test. More importantly, SNMA members serve
as mentors to undergraduate students helping them successfully
matriculate into medical school. Visit their website at http://www.snma.org/maps/index.htm

Sexual Health Awareness:

The
SNMA's Sexual Health Awareness program educates teenagers about
their bodies and the positive expression of sexuality. Since sexual
activity among teens is often the consequence of poor self-esteem,
this program first and foremost works to improve self-esteem and
self-worth among its participants. The program also works to improve
relationships, reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy, and reduce
the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Smoking Cessation

Tissue and Organ Donation Education and
Recruitment (TODER)

The
United States is currently experiencing a shortage of organ donors
especially among minority populations. SNMA's TODER program educates
minority communities about organ donation and encourages people to
enroll in organ and tissue donation programs.

Violence Prevention Curriculum:

Violence has become one of the leading social problems
in the United States. The SNMA Violence Prevention Curriculum
targets adolescents helping them to acknowledge anger as a natural
emotion. SNMA members work with youth teaching them alternative
non-violent ways of expressing this natural emotion. Students are
also taught conflict resolution skills that help produce non-violent
outcomes.

Youth Science Enrichment Program (YSEP):

The
SNMA's earliest intervention program, YSEP, aims to expose youth to
the fields of medicine and technology. SNMA members design science
related projects and activities as well as serve as mentors and role
models. By reaching youth at such an early age, the SNMA helps
cultivate a lifelong interest in learning and achievement.